


Light Carries On

by Superhiro



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-30
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-24 02:16:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4901692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Superhiro/pseuds/Superhiro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Hydra get Bucky in their clutches once again, Steve immediately plans a rescue mission that doesn't exactly go to plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Light Carries On

**Author's Note:**

> Done for a roleplay prompt that I completed on my old Steve Rogers account. :)

Steve should have known that the trouble with Hydra wasn’t over. He _should have known_ how much they wanted Bucky back in their clutches. That they would do absolutely anything to tear the love of Steve’s life away from him again. But no, he had let himself get too comfortable. He’d let his guard down after time had gone on and Bucky had safely began to recover from being hurt, controlled and brainwashed for _so damn long._ Steve had believed that Hydra was still out there, of course, but that they would not dare make any moves against them.

He was horribly wrong.

Bucky had gone out, just to pick up some take-out food for them to munch on since they didn’t have the grocery items to make dinner (unless they wanted dry toast which _was not_ a decent meal). Steve wasn’t worried about him at first, Bucky was plenty capable of going out by himself lately. But when hours upon end had passed with no contact from him, Steve had freaked out. He called his phone a million times, leaving desperate voicemails filled with quiet pleas that he’d ‘ _better be okay out there’_.

Then he’d gotten a call from Tony, who had tracked down another Hydra base and informed him that he’d just seen Bucky get taken there. Steve’s blood ran cold and he almost couldn’t breathe because of how badly he had just managed to fail the person that he loved most in the world.

The Avengers had assembled as quickly as possible and made their way to the base. Steve was ready to tear everything and everyone apart to get to Bucky. He would not let anyone from HYDRA get their hands anywhere near him again. He didn’t care what he would have to do to ensure that.

The team had split off as they made their way through the facility. Steve began rushing down hall after hall, breaking down doors and not letting anyone get close enough to do any damage. He was an invincible force, moving on autopilot as he tried to achieve this one very important goal.

Finally, Steve kicked opened a door at the end of the darkest hallway yet, and there he was. Steve almost felt as if he was back in the forties, because the scene was the exact same. Bucky strapped to a table mumbling to himself and Steve with his feelings all over the place but the desperation to get his love out of the facility as soon as possible taking the forefront. He raced over to Bucky, throwing his shield when a Hydra agent entered the room after him. He caught it again as he started to yank the restraints off.

“Bucky…” he whispered, shaking him slightly in an attempt to wake him. Bucky’s eyes opened just slightly and he muttered Steve’s name. It was enough to make Steve sigh with relief as he moved to help sit his lover up. He notified the other Avengers that he’d found who they were looking for before making his way out of the room as fast as he could with Bucky leaning on him.

Steve didn’t let his guard down until they could see the exit in front of their eyes. Where, when just steps away from reaching it, they became surrounded.

Bucky was in no condition to fight, only being half-conscious after whatever he had just been through with Hydra. As quickly as possible, Steve left Bucky so he was leaning against the wall and told the Avengers about his situation. He then proceeded to take on his enemies.

He was extremely efficient, kicking people on his left, blocking bullets with his shield from those in front of him, then smacking it against someone coming at him from the other side. The odds seemed impossible, but he was used to such stakes. When he knocked down the last enemy, he smirked, satisfied with his success. He called off his team and looked back at Bucky -- who was now more aware – with a smile.

Bucky started to smile back when suddenly his face morphed into horror and he screeched, “ _Steve, look out_!”

But the cry had come too late, as a white hot pain exploded in Steve’s stomach and he lost touch with everything that was occurring around him. The complete agony he was experiencing became even worse for a moment, as whoever was behind him seemed to be _twisting_ the knife in his back. Steve’s grip loosened on his shield and it fell to the ground with a clatter that he could not hear. Bucky was shouting -- he could hear that still -- but the words seemed like they were coming from so very far off. Steve barely noticed as he fell down to his knees.

Then, there was the warmth of someone’s touch pulling up his chin.

“Stevie...”

_Bucky._ The name immediately filled his mind but he choked as he tried to say it. He tried to open the eyes he didn’t remember closing to make out a blurry version of the man he loved.

And he smiled. Despite the unbearable pain that he was facing, he smiled, because Bucky was okay, and that was all he had wanted. For Bucky to be out of reach of anyone who would dare harm him.

“No, no, no, Stevie you can’t die on me. Don’t you dare die on me.” Bucky whispered, and even with his blurred sight he could make out the tears cascading down his lover’s face.

Steve wanted to reach out and brush them away. To grin and say that everything would be okay now, but it wouldn’t be and he couldn’t lie to Bucky in this last moment.

“I… I love you so much, Buck. You’re everything… I ever wanted to have and you—“ he was barely able to get the words out, but he needed to do this. “—made my life worth living. But don’t let this… ruin what’s left of yours.”

“No, no _, Steve_. Don’t say that, you’ll be fine! Just hold on for a few more minutes, just _hold on_ —“

And he tried, he tried so damn hard, but there were some things he just didn’t have control over.

His last thought as he shut his eyes for good was that it was worth it. That maybe keeping Bucky safe this time made up for him not being there to rescue him in the first place.


End file.
